spacecraft

noun

space·​craft ˈspās-ˌkraft 

: a vehicle or device designed for travel or operation outside the earth's atmosphere

Examples of spacecraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Teams are reviewing data and conducting additional tests to ensure the spacecraft is prepared for the journey. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

But none of us will live to see the interstellar spacecraft's historic arrival; its journey is expected to take about 80,000 years. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Instead of riding piggyback on a Mars rover, as Ingenuity did, SkyFall will separate from the SR-1 Freedom spacecraft on approach to the red planet. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026

Lagrange points are crucial for space telescopes because, at these locations, the gravitational forces of Earth and the sun essentially balance each other out, keeping the spacecraft stable with minimal effort on its part. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spacecraft

• allograft
• autograft
• autographed
• countershaft
• handicraft
• homograft
• hovercraft
• lithographed
• overdraft
• photographed
• rotorcraft
• telegraphed

Kids Definition

spacecraft

noun

space·​craft ˈspā-ˌskraft 

plural spacecraft

: a vehicle for travel beyond the earth's atmosphere